


Ghost of a Good Thing

by madeof_it



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Centaurs, Drawing, F/M, Forests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:14:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1852624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeof_it/pseuds/madeof_it
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luna meets the Centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, Dean learns something new about himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost of a Good Thing

The Forbidden Forest was obviously forbidden, but that didn't seem to be common knowledge based on the number of students that managed to sneak in. You would think that Hogwarts would set up some wards to discourage it.

At least that's what Dean Thomas thought as he crossed the border, spiral-bound sketchbook tucked under his arm. He had to weave his way around the tree trunks, ducking branches until he came to his favourite clearing. Already a few years into his Hogwarts education, he regularly managed to make his way to this spot, finding the lighting was perfect for practicing highlights and shadows on his sketches. He would sit here for hours, watching the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, drawing his eyes across the forest.

There were crunching noises coming towards him and he froze, unsure of whether or not to cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. He opted not to, settling instead on sitting still and breathing quietly as the footsteps came closer.

CENTAURS. He hadn't seen them up close in what seemed like ages, since Firenze had his stint as a Professor. Wary of their tempers and the way that they didn't regard humans as their favourites, it surprised him to see who was accompanying them.

It was Luna Lovegood. Frail and fairy-like, she looked like she belonged out here, like she should be covered in starlight and leaves. She was laughing with them, and the Centaurs were smiling back at her, like they knew that she was as much a part of their forest as they themselves were. One nudged another, and they noticed Dean sitting there, eyes flickering between the multiple beings in front of him. They murmured something to Luna, who nodded back at them, and then they bowed to her before nodding at Dean and turning away. The muscles of their flanks rippled as they galloped away, somehow seeming gigantic and weightless at the same time.

As soon as their rumbling faded away, Luna sat next to him on the forest floor, legs folded under her, with such gracefulness that he held his breath for a moment.

"Hullo, Dean Thomas. You don't normally let yourself be spotted out here."

He startled. "You've noticed me out here before?"

She laughed, the sound conjuring images in Dean's head of bells in a spring breeze. "The entire forest knows when you're here. It's happy to have you, though, you're so much better than some of the other students that come traipsing through with no regard for nature."

She eyed him seriously. "They don't understand that nature isn't something for them to take or keep, but you do, don't you Dean?"

Unsure how to answer, he simply shrugged.

Luna conjured her own tablet then, taking her pencil in hand. "Do you think you could give me some drawing lessons?" she asked.

He grinned at her, only realising at that moment how much he'd like to spend more time in her company and nodded eagerly, already thinking of all the things they could find in the forest, to capture images of while leaving the scene like they'd never been there at all.


End file.
